Results of an Oracle Utilities survey released this morning show that electric utilities in Canada and the US are only in the early stages of putting smart meter data good use. But they could be doing a better job of using the data they are collecting. The survey was of 151 utility executives in Canada and the United States.

In a challenging economy the difference between an effective marketing strategy and a failed one can often spell the difference between business success and failure. If the old adage that tells us a rising tide lifts all boats holds true we know as well that the differences between effective and ineffective strategies will become more apparent in tougher economic times.

There are a variety of energy storage technologies already on the market, but when it comes to utility-scale solutions, hydrogen-based technologies have garnered some significant traction. One only needs to look at Hydrogenics Corp. for proof that hydrogen has a good chance of figuring prominently in the global energy storage market.